Compression Bags

When a friend first told me about compression bags, I wasn't really that impressed by the idea. Years ago, I bought a set of compression caps for my sleeping bag, and they were hard to use and didn't really work. Still, I decided to give them another shot in an attempt to save some space in my on-river gear. Since then, I've been a big fan.

There are basically two types of compression bags: vertical and horizontal (or tubular). The vertical bags are basically just stuff sacks with compression caps, one sewn on the bottom of the sack. These result in something that looks like a really hard football. If you are putting these in a standard drybag or backpack, they work well. However, if you have a dry duffel bag, such as a Watershed Colorado, they may not be as easy to pack. This is where a tubular compression bag can come in handy. These have several straps that wrap around the bag, which compresses the contents into a smaller tube.

I am able to put my tent, sleeping bag (in a tubular compression bag), and pillow (in a vertical compression bag) in my Watershed Colorado, and still have room for other items. Before getting compression bags, I would have had to take a separate drybag for either the tent or sleeping bag, and I would use clothes for a pillow.

Recently, some vertical compression bags have come out that are made of eVent material, which is waterproof in one direction and allows air to pass in the other. This means that these compression bags are also drybags. I've heard mixed reports on these. I own a few, but I've never dunked them because I use them with fleece and other clothing.

Compression bags can make a big difference in your river gear packing.